Strawberry Hybrids Are The Best Kinds Of Hybrids
by Azrael the Undertaker
Summary: When a kind yet admittedly suspicious blond shopkeeper finds a stray neko, he takes him in. Only later does he find out that the cat is actually a sexy hot orange haired hybrid...Though he's about to find that this neko has a bad past with Soul Society...
1. Chapter 1: Coincidence, I think not

Strawberry Hybrids Are The Best Kind of Hybrids

Summary: When a kind yet admittedly suspicious blond shopkeeper finds a stray neko, he takes him in. Only later does he find out that the cat is actually a sexy hot orange haired hybrid...Oh, the (nonexistent) horror. UraharaxIchigo

Warnings: Same universe as the original Bleach, but an alternate reality where Ichigo is a neko hybrid, because everyone loves neko Ichi! :D

* * *

It was one thing he'd never expected to see.

As everyone knows, hollows target their prey on how much spiritual energy one has. The more energy, the tastier the meal. That of course excludes that hollow's family members, because they'd probably be eaten anyway.

Humans usually don't have much spirit energy. It is, in fact, very rare for one to have more than a minuscule amount. Animals are the same way, usually not having any at all. On the other hand, they are more in tune with nature than humans, and have sharper senses. They are usually able to sense the presence of hollows, even if not being able to physically see them.

So it was a great surprise to Kisuke Urahara, when as he was was taking a late night stroll to the store with the task of buying juice for Ururu and Jinta, an orange blur darted in past him, a hollow hot on its tail (pun intended).

The first thing he wondered was how he had not sensed the hollow, and he then stated cursing himself for that same reason. When he spun around to see the ugly hollow jump into the air, saliva dripping onto the ground, as it dove for the tiny feline, he sat back for a few moments, watching with fascination as the neko dodged out of the way, darting off to the side as it landed in a puddle of drool.

It was so strange. This neko, he could swear, could not only sense the hollow, but _see it_ too...

It was only then that he took the time to realize that the saliva that the hollow was now spitting in rapid fire at the neko was some sort of venom, for it was eroding away at the streets and leaving a stomach wrenching smell in the air.

He took action then, quickly unsheathing Benihime while shunpoing forward and slashing through the hollow without difficulty. It dissolved, and all the while he was staring intensely at the the neko, he could now see its fur was orange, as it limped to the side of the street, tiny bloody paw prints left on the asphalt of the road. It collapsed on the curb, chest heaving as it shifted on the unforgiving ground, whimpering.

It didn't notice as he slowly approached, or perhaps the poor creature was in too much pain to care. The latter, judging by the horrible wounds the hollow saliva had given its legs and the pathetic whimpers and whines coming from the orange heap.

When he brought his blade up to unsheathe it though, the almost inaudible sound of metal cutting air resounding the otherwise empty street, the felines eyes shot open and a throaty hiss erupted from his (he was close enough to determine the neko's gender) throat. In a moment, the orange cat was crouched in a defensive position on all fours despite the still bleeding and still very much hurting wounds, eyes wide and wild.

Even as the feline darted down the street with such speed and not even a limp with those wounds, Kisuke remained frozen, an image of such frightened brown eyes, yet with such fire that he would have been scared if he was a lesser man.

Kisuke Urahara, though, was no lesser man, as he calmly resumed sheathing his zanpakuto, turning on his heel, and continuing toward the store.

There was juice to be bought.

* * *

Whoa, I haven't been on FanFiction in SOOO long! Seriously, like, half a year I think? God, well sorry this was so short. It was only to get the beginning point across, but I can guarantee the rest will be longer...Ah, rambling now.

Haha, I shall see you next chapter!

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	2. Chapter 2: The Little Kitten That Could

Chapter 2: The Little Kitten That Could

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would love myself SOOOOO MUCH, but I don't...

* * *

He was admittedly curious about the orange neko that he had encountered three days ago. Well, maybe a bit more than curious. Obsessed, maybe. He was wondering all kinds of things; why did why neko have orange fur? Was that even possible? Why did it have reiatsu? How much reiatsu did it have? Could it really see that hollow? Why was it so afraid of him? Why did it have such beautiful eyes that looked for all the world as if it _knew_ what was happening...

That was the biggest one. Those eyes were not that of an animal, for they held so much understanding in them. They looked so intelligent, so _human_.

He had concluded that the neko was probably a hybrid, but that still left the mystery of why it had any reiatsu at all. Urahara had actually thought about tracing the neko's reiatsu signature, but that seemed ridiculous, After all, since when did he get so freaked about things as minuscule as this? He was Kisuke Urahara, genius scientist, former head of the 12th division in the 13 Court Guard Squads, and perhaps the greatest mind that Soul Society had ever seen.

But then he had remembered the gruesome wounds that the neko had sustained from the hollow's venom, and he became a little more fidgety. Just remembering the burnt off fur from its paws and halfway up its legs, the raw flesh and oozing blood...

It was maddening how after everything he had been though, everything that he had seen and done, that this tiny little creature would spark so much emotion. Over a cat!

But alas, no matter how much he wanted to forget about the fascinating little orange furred nuisance, it just kept jumping to the forefront of his mind.

As it were, he was sitting in the shade of a large oak tree at one of the local parks, sipping warm tea. Tessai sat beside him, watching as Ururu refused to get out of 'Jinta's swing', and Jinta pulled her pigtails in retribution.

There were no others around, and it was peaceful and quiet (if you ignored Jinta's insistent shouting and Ururu's weak pleas to stop).

Of course, good things never lasted, Kisuke thought as the distinct reiatsu of a hollow appeared.

He and Tessai shared a look, and Urahara shrugged, placing his cup on the quilt they sat upon.

"I'll get this one." Is all he said, disappearing in a flash on shunpo.

The hollow was all the way across town, and though it was extremely easy to locate, its reiatsu was almost nonexistent. It was small, for a hollow. It looked like a white house cat, and was the size of one,with a hollow mask in the shape of a cat's face. but the only thing that really screamed 'hollow' was the hole in the middle of its chest and the two black stripes down its face, connecting to its hollow hole.

He almost killed it. Almost.

If it weren't for the way that it was sniffing the ground, purring as it caught a specific scent, he would have done it. But the action was so...Normal. It was acting for all the world like an innocent house cat.

And so when the little neko hollow trotted happily down the sidewalk, armored tail swaying happily behind it, Kisuke followed it.

It was obvious that the hollow had a specific location in mind, for every few minutes it would stop and sniff the ground, shifting direction slightly and continuing on its merry way. The entire way there the little hollow's tail was swaying happily, and even more strange was the way it completely discarded other reiatsu signatures, even the more powerful ones that were quite distinct. Most hollows would go for the nearest or biggest source of reiatsu, but this hollow...

* * *

It surprised him, when he found himself on the street where he had met the orange neko. The hollow stopped, spine rigid as it sniffed at a stain of dried blood: the orange neko's blood, he realized. The cat was stiff, tail no longer swaying and claws extracted.

Then, it took off. Kisuke disappeared after the hollow, feeling slightly stalkerish, and realizing that the tiny hollow was advanced enough to use sonido.

An area of dense woods, on the very edges of the city. As he landed in a low branch, he immediately spotted the feline hollow, sprinting as fast as its little legs would take it. He had the biggest urge to blink, as he saw the orange neko from three days ago, passed out by the trunk of a large tree.

A twinge of guilt settled in his stomach as he saw that the neko's legs were an angry pink color, the fur still burned off as the scars still looked fresh. Even so, a content look was settled on his face (albeit a slight crease in its brow), the kitten sound asleep.

_'It must be homeless...'_

For some reason, the knowledge only made him even more concerned.

The hollow mewed softly, rubbing its bone face against the orange kitten's, purring as the neko opened sleepy eyes in response, tiredly licking the hard mask. It was fascinating, watching the interaction. A living being and a hollow getting along, _albeit a cat and a hollow cat_. It was so..._unconventional_.

The white neko licked orange fur, stopping at scared legs and tensing, a low growl erupting from its tiny chest. It bared sharp fangs, saliva dripping from bone jaws as onto the pink flesh. Kisuke was almost amazed as the scarred over flesh started sizzling, turning a fresh pink as fur started sprouting. Of course, many hollows had weird powers, so he wasn't surprised at all when the horrible wounds were healed completely, not a trace left.

Though, he couldn't deny the shock when the tree he was perched on blew up, a cloud of dust kicking into the air as the area around them caught on fire.

"MEOW!"

It brought him out of his mental cursing, because he was spacing out _way_ too much lately. The neko hollow was crouched protectively in front of the wide eyed, trembling orange cat. Whether the fear was from the fire, the loud noise, or the giant (and very much ugly) bird hollow that was taking a dive straight for them, he did not know.

It was immediate, perhaps a simple reaction to protect something weaker than himself, shunpoing the kittens-

_Cat and hollow,_ he kept reminding himself.

-out of the way.

As he set them on safe ground, more hollow reiatsus appeared, and the ugly hollows that came with them. Of course, cats were very territorial, and so the pathetically small kitten hollow took off, straight at a pack of hollows. It wasn't as pathetic as it looked, though, as it took an effortless leap from the ground, slashing through bone mask after bone mask.

_'It can obviously take care of itself.'_ Urahara thought as he unsheathed his zanpakuto, slicing through hollow after annoying hollow. They were all so petty, so very weak. Some of them even disintegrated just by being near his reiatsu. He was in the middle of chanting a shakkahou spell when a high pitch, agonized cry tore through the air, and at the edges of his vision, he caught sight of the cat hollow plummeting toward the ground. The impact came with a muted thud, and a small dust cloud kicked up from the force. He would have saved it, if he hadn't seen the giant bird hollow from before, about to eat the poor creature, being _ripped to shreds by a small orange blur_.

It took Urahara a moment to fully comprehend that the innocent little kitten, _very much so still alive and seemingly without any special powers_, just took out a giant hollow, at least fifty times its size.

He dispatched the rest of the hollows, sheathing his blade once more and spotted the neko hollow leaving via garganta, bleeding profusely and very obviously limping, only looking back briefly at the unconscious orange kitten on the ground.

As he stood above the pitiful little kitten, twitching as if it were having a nightmare, he couldn't stop himself from picking it up, cradling the small creature in his arms carefully. The neko immediately rubbed its face against his chest, snuggling into the source of warmth, and slept.

It seemed as if its nightmare had ended.

* * *

Ha ha, second chapter! And the little hollow kitty? I give you one guess as to who that could be! But alas, it won't be a little kitty forever, no indeed!

Ya.

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	3. Just a Picture

Well, this (obviously) isn't a chapter, that'll be posted in a day or three. Just wanted to let you know that if you're interested, I uploaded a picture of cute little neko Ichi and hollow/neko Shiro onto the DeviantArt that I made literally just for that. I'm not too good at coloring, but the link is right there. Down below. No seriously, if you look right below this message, you'll see it.

Why are you still reading this? Below, below man!

**hellishnights (dot) deviantart (dot) com/art/Neko-Ichi-and-Hollow-Shiro-198160603**

(By the way, the two parenthesis that say 'dot', those have to be replaced with the periods, in case you somehow managed to not know that...

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	4. Chapter 3: Hello Kitties!

Chapter 3: Hello Kitty!

Disclaimer: The only things that I own are the pop tarts in my hand

It was interesting, to say at least. When Kisuke made his way home, orange feline in his arms and sleeping soundly, he thought of what he would tell everyone. Tessai, Ururu, Jinta, Yoruichi, the pesky mod souls...

Well, everyone thought he was an eccentric, looney, perverted (two of which are correct, can you guess?) shopkeeper, so if he were to bring home a random cat with unconventional fur one day, no one would think too much of it. Probably...

So when he walked into the Shoten, casually sitting as the lunch table and setting the sleeping neko gently in his lap, he payed no mind to the bizarre looks being shot his way. Ah, it seemed his (now second) favorite kitty was back!

"Ummm...Kisuke?"

"Yes, Yoruichi-san?"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!"

The sound of claws on skin was heard throughout the room, as Urahara pouted, healing the four small cuts on his face with kidou.

"Maa maa, Yoruichi-san. It's a cat, can't you see?"

"I know that, you idiot! Why the hell do you have a cat with you! It-! It...Has reiatsu?" The black cat's face scrunched in a parody of a concentrated scowl, golden eyes alight with confusion.

"Yes, that's why I brought it here," _Lie._ "I was wondering if there was anything special about it." _Oh, there is._

A soft mew came from his lap, and Kisuke looked down just in time to see the orange neko hop off of his lap with sleepy, irritated eyes, growling softly to itself as it stalked toward the door.

"That kid has very bad manners..." Yoruichi frowned and looked over at Kisuke. "And why were you stalking that poor cat?"

An innocent blink was her only answer, and Yoruichi sighed, shaking her head and scratching behind her furry black ear. "He was grumbling something along the lines of 'Perverted stalkers, taking me home when I was napping. Probably some creepy pedophile...That hideous hat says it all...Special my ass..."

Urahara, for the most part, looked dumbstruck, looking back and forth from Yoruichi to the door, where the orange neko could be seen slinking down the street and away from the Shoten. His gaze finally settled on the black neko, and he raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"You speak cat?"

His only response was another face mauling.

When his face was fully healed and sexy once again (in his own opinion, of course), which took all of about a twelve minutes including the time where Yoruichi was yelling at him for being an the smartest idiot she had ever seen, he was out of the Shoten and jogging after the orange neko. As he came to a crossroads, a very familiar sight greeted him in the form of an orange cat running frantically in his path, a hoard of hollows chasing after it.

He almost sighed, for this cat was a hollow _magnet_ it seemed, and automatically his hand went to the Benihime's hilt. After slashing through his twenty sixth hollow, it was becoming apparent that the numbers weren't diminishing any, and in fact seemed to be growing. There must have been hundreds. Sweat started to break out on his forehead, and a foreboding settled in his stomach as a garganta opened.

He was surprised though, when out came a white panther with cobalt blue eyes, obviously an adjuchas, and the same tiny kitten from before. Speeding out, the panther ripped his way through the hollows, claws and teeth tearing through them like butter. The kitten wasn't far behind, but it was going for a specific location, unlike the panther who was just ripping through whatever hollow that was closest.

Kisuke found that whenever he would start moving toward another hollow, the panther would get it first, and whenever they were near each other, he would be growled at, as if being warned to stay away. Perhaps it was trying to show its strength, or maybe it knew he was a shinigami and didn't want to be shown up, or it could just be hollow nature. Either way, he dove out or the fray, watching as the hollows kept coming, and they were being defeated just as fast, probably from the numerous ceros that he could see blasting through the numbers.

A flash of orange caught his eye, and he looked just in time to see an exhausted kitten collapse onto the ground, and being saved from being crushed in huge jaws by the neko hollow, furiously clawing through the bone mask.

Something amazing happened then, as the kitten hollow tore a bite of the hollows arm off with its mouth. It was instant, the skyrocketing of spiritual pressure in the air, the way all of the hollows turned into ash on the spot. The panther dove for the orange neko, protecting him with its armor-clad body, taking the brunt of the horrible reiatsu surging from the tiny hollow.

Kisuke cursed, chanting a spell under his breath. "Bakudo number seventy three, Tozansho!" A pyramid shaped barrier wove into existence, surrounding himself and the hollow, trapping all of the immense reiatsu inside. The pressure was almost unbearable, but he held strong. If the bakudo broke, than the whole town would likely be destroyed by the sheer amount of reiatsu the hollow was emitting.

With a bright flash of white light, the last thing he saw was the neko hollow reaching up and ripping its own mask off, and it was all over. The reiatsu faded, condensing so rapidly that it was almost as if nothing had happened.

It was amazing, the amount of spiritual power that the hollow had. It obviously was an adjuchas, something that he wasn't so sure of before. No doubt that it now was a vasto lorde, the deadliest hollow out there.

Golden eyes.

It was the first thing that he could see, after the light and smoke died down. Piercing, glaring, malicious golden eyes, surrounded by the blackest sclera he had ever seen. Alabaster skin, long, flowing white hair, toned body barely concealed with the shreds of a white hakama, black finder nails, and the mask fragment, black in color. It curved around his left eye, sharp teeth jutting out of the bottom, ending right above a cheekbone.

_Arrancar_.

Right in front of him. Within twenty feet, he had just witnessed something so rare. Not only were vasto lordes scarce, few and far in between, it was hard to turn yourself into an arrancar. _It had just happened right in front of him_.

It was terrifying, the amount of power he had felt surge. Added to becoming an _arrancar for gods sake!_

Kisuke gulped, feeling afraid for the first time in a long time. The alabaster arrancar glared, a low growling sound erupting from his chest as he flashed sharp canines, stepping closer.

"Just what are you playing at?" He growled, voice low and echoed, eyes narrowed and flashing dangerously. Before he took another step closer, a soft mewing chimed from somewhere off to the side. Both turned their attention toward the sound, watching as the panther adjuchas lay lazily on the ground, an orange neko trapped under its large torso.

Amusement flashed in Urahara's eyes as he watched the neko squirm, meowing and whining, clawing at the ground and trying to free itself. Finally, it stopped, slid _under_ the panther, and popped out of the hole in its stomach. The hollow growled, tail whipping out and grabbing the cat, dangling it in the air by the scruff of its neck.

"Grimmjow you idiot! Put 'im down!" The arrancar shouted, stomping over and snatching the kitten away.

The panther chuckled, a deep guttural sound. "But he's so fun. I can't help that his size makes it easy for me to pick on him." He rumbled, standing and rubbing the length of his sleek body against the arrancar's legs in an affectionate manner, all the while the neko was meowing and clawing at the air, seemingly cussing up a storm. "Aw, ya hurt my feelings Ichi."

The neko, Ichi apparently, went limp, a scowl on his face (or as close to a scowl as a cat can get) as he growled to himself.

All three froze and looked over as Urahara strode slowly toward them, raising his hands in a placating manner.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara, and who, might I ask, are you?"

The panther's hackles rose, spine arching as it slunk into a defensive position, teeth bared. "Shinigami." He growled, spitting the word like a most foul insult. Gold on black eyes narrowed, bringing the neko against his chest and for once, the tiny feline wasn't complaining. It mewed softly, and the panthers eyes went wide as it rumbled, growing louder until he was laughing hysterically, literally rolling on the ground in laughter.

The arrancar, one the other hand, didn't seem to find anything funny as he pinned the shinigami with a hard glare, lips curving into a sneer.

"What, are you a fuckin stalker or something- OW!" He pinned the neko with a mock glare, nursing the shallow scratches on his cheek as the feline climbed onto his shoulder, tugging an ear with his teeth as he growled. "Ichi- Stop tha'!"

The neko growled in response, and Urahara could only watch bemusedly as the kitten managed to bring the big bad vasto lorde to his knees in pain. Satisfied with the heavily bleeding (and rapidly healing) alabaster ear, the neko hopped onto the panthers shoulder, snickering as he flinched away and brought a paw up to cover its ear, The neko rolled his eyes skyward, before locking an intense stare on the poor shopkeeper.

"My name's Ichigo." The soft baritone came from the kitten, and Kisuke knew he really should be surprised about talking cats, but he couldn't find it in himself to be. "And who the hell did you say you were?"

The first intelligent thing that came out of the shopkeeper's mouth was,

"You can talk?"

He was on the receiving end of another face-mauling, yet again.

Ha ha ha, nekos are amazing! I decided to add Grimmy, because everyone loves Grimmjow! Plus I don't like him being a bad guy! D: So alas, here is your third chapter!

Oh, and by the way, I posted a picture of Shiro's mask on my DeviantArt, and I've gotten into a habit of drawing neko Ichi and Shiro, so I'll probably make a BUNCH more of those!

My account address is:

.com/

Ai.

Bloody Sorrow


	5. Chapter 4: Branded

Chapter 4: Branded

Disclaimer: The only Bleach that I own is in my laundry room closet

_Recap-_

_"My name's Ichigo." The soft baritone came from the kitten, and Kisuke knew he really should be surprised about talking cats, but he couldn't find it in himself to be. "And who the hell did you say you were?"_

_The first intelligent thing that came out of the shopkeeper's mouth was:_

_"You can talk?"_

They all stood still for a moment, the blond shopkeeper with a puzzled look on his face and the neko, adjuchas, and arrancar all gaping at said shopkeepers stupidity. The neko's eye twitched, and before Kisuke could even _blink_ the orange blur was back, a searing pain across his cheek.

"IDIOT! Of course I can speak, can you not_ see!_"

The panther was too busy laughing his ass off, and the arrancar was giving Kisuke a dirty look, _daring_ him to try and retaliate. Ichigo leaped into the air, standing right in front of the shopkeeper's face with a menacing aura surrounding his tiny body.

"Yes yes, Neko-chan! No more of the mauling of my face!" Kisuke shouted, holding his hands out in a placating manner. The neko's eyes narrowed, before he snorted, giving the blond a dry look.

"What's your name?" He asked, sounding honestly curious, even with the bored-as-hell look on his face.

"Urahara Kisuke."

Ichigo's fur stood on end, and his posture became stiff, claws flexing as he backed up a step. "So you're him, huh?" He growled. In the background Shirosaki's eyes narrowed slightly, and Grimmjow returning to his rigid stance, claws eagerly raking through the dirt.

"So you know of me." It wasn't a question. "How, if I may ask."

Ichigo glared off to the side, shoulders slumping as his fur flattened, standing in a rather defeated looking position. "I-I..." The neko turned slightly, giving the arrancar a pleading look. The albino sighed, clawed hand raking through snowy hair as he waved a dismissive hand, urging the feline to continue. The neko growled, eyes flashing with irritation before he turned back to the shopkeeper, face contorted into a frown. "My name is Ichigo." He sighed, settling into a more comfortable position before sticking out his tongue.

Kisuke quickly zeroed in on the black barcode tattooed across the pink surface, the numbers '**3040134**' printed under the vertical lines. Ichigo closed his mouth, eyes a cold silver in color and nothing like the beautiful brown they were before. When he started speaking, his voice was cold and monotonous, as if he were in a trance.

"Identification number, three zero four zero one three four. Code name, Ichigo. Race, neko-Visored hybrid. Date of creation, fifteenth of July. Age, seventeen years. Gender, male. Blood type, A. Affiliation, none. Occupation, rogue. Previous occupation," He paused there, staring Kisuke straight in the eyes as if telling him that this was what he was waiting for. "Lab experiment and personal _favorite-_" He spat the word like a curse. "-of the bastard who happens to be my creator, and also the bane of my existence," A pause. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

**(Author's Note:**

**You know what? I was actually thinking of ending this chapter right here just to be a jerk, but then the shortness bothered me, so I didn't. :)**

**Anyway, on with the story!)**

Though he was impassive on the outside, save for narrowed eyes, Kisuke was gaping on the inside. Of course, the last thing he would have expected was that this neko was from _Soul Society_. But, in all rights, it certainly did explain why Ichigo was standing in the air (something that hadn't occurred to him before), and why he was hanging out with hollows.

Well, the latter was still in question...

"Hn." He hummed tunelessly, slipping his hands into the sleeves of his kimono and eying the hollows, eyes sliding back to the neko, who was still in the exact same position, back ramrod straight, as if out of habit. The poor neko had come from Kurotsuchi, and Kisuke had no doubt that proper manners and obedience were hammered into the neko's skull. "Would you join me fore some tea?" It wasn't an option. "It seems that we need to talk."

"Perhaps that would be best, don't you agree Grimmjow, Shiro." The neko voiced quietly, quite obviously not leaving any room to argue. He didn't even look back at his companions as his eyes were observing the blond with deadly precision.

After all, this was war, or it would be pretty soon. You didn't really know anyone until they were dying and finally took off the fucking mask.

"KISUKEEEE!"

As he entered the Shouten, the shopkeeper ducked out of the way of the fist that was headed for his face, realizing a moment too late that there happened to be an orange cat perched in his shoulder, now in the way of the rapidly approaching fist.

Ichigo raised a paw, stopping the incoming hand inches away from his face as his eyes narrowed, teeth bared and eyes flashing a dangerous silver. Without any sort of strain, he shoved, easily pushing the purple haired woman away. Before she landed on her ass, she transformed into a lack cat, landing gracefully on the floor. Ichigo jumped down from the blond's shoulder, immediately slipping into a defensive position.

Before either neko could take action, Kisuke lifted Yoruichi by the scruff of her neck, chuckling as she squirmed and growled, voice a few octaves lower than normal.

"Kisuke, put me down! I'll claw your miserable eyes out for this!"

"Yoruichi-san," Kisuke warned, and she stopped, knowing that Kisuke was being serious. "Meet Ichigo." He gestured toward the orange feline, who was still ready to pounce. Sensing that Yoruichi was about to complain, he continued. "He's from the Soul Society."

She shut up.

"Now be a nice kitty and go fetch Tessai. We're going to have some tea." Shirosaki and Grimmjow took that moment to walk in the door, and Yoruichi stiffened again.

"All of us."

Yay, new chapter! It's always fun updating, because it's not like I have anything better to do anyway... Huh. So anyway, did anyone expect that Ichi was from Soul Society? I thought it was rather suprising, but maybe I'm not a very good judge of character. And now I feel the need to draw Neko Ichi with the barcode on his tongue...

Eh, lots to do...Until next time!

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	6. Chapter 5: Not All Stories Are Happy

Chapter 5: Not All Stories Are Happy

Disclaimer: My imagination is weird, but not whacked out enough to create something like Charlotte Cuuhlhourne... D:

Dedication: I would like to dedicate this chapter to **Ichigos Future Wife**, who really makes me feel happy when writing. You're awesome, and this chapter is for you!

* * *

_Recap-_

_"Now be a nice kitty and go fetch Tessai. We're going to have some tea." Shirosaki and Grimmjow took that moment to walk in the door, and Yoruichi stiffened again._

_"All of us."_

"What are you doing, Kisuke?" Yoruichi whispered, fully aware that their company could most likely still hear her.

"What seems to be the correct thing to do, Yoruichi-san. Now, Tessai please?" With that, Kisuke set the black neko on the floor, standing still until she was out of sight. He turned toward the hollows in the doorway, who didn't seem keen on stepping one foot into the building. "If you will." He gestured further into the house, not waiting before turning and continuing into the kitchen to brew a pot of tea.

When he went to the next room to sit at the table, Ichigo was seated at one of the ends, Grimmjow and Shirosaki on either side. The panther wasn't sitting, so much as being near the general spot while laying lazily on the floor. Ururu and Jinta were at the other side of the table, staring nervously at the trio, who didn't seem to pay them any mind as they sat quietly, watching as the shopkeeper took his spot at the opposite end. The silence stretched as Tessai and Yoruichi came to the table, sitting stiffly.

The atmosphere was thick, until Jinta pointed a finger at Ichigo, yelling "Who are you?" Yoruichi rolled her eyes, and Kisuke shook his head in a dejected manner, inwardly thanking the obnoxious child for breaking the tense silence. Shiro and Grimmjow, on the other hand, didn't look amused in the least it, eyes narrowing in a threatening manner.

"Watch your mouth, brat." Grimmjow snarled, tail unconsciously curling in front of Ichigo, a show of possession. Kisuke sighed, motioning across the table toward the nekos (Shiro's a kitty arrancar, mind you!). "These are Ichigo-san, Grimmjow-san, and Shiro-san. I-"

"Fuck you, it's Shirosaki, ya asshole!"

"-understand that they are under very special," A pause. "circumstances of sorts. It would be wise to listen." Tessai nodded, as well as Yoruichi and Ururu, while Jinta huffed, but gave the trio his attention anyway.

Ichigo stood from his position on the table, bowing his head slightly toward the opposite group. "As you know, my name is Ichigo." A swish of his tail. "I'm a hybrid." He gave Yoruichi an expecting look, ear twitching as Grimmjow snorted, laying his head on his paws.

"What kind of hybrid are you?" Yoruichi asked, only minor irritation slipping through her nonchalant mask, knowing that Ichigo was trying to wind her up.

"Ah, you know. Part neko, part vizard. The usual." Ichigo drawled, waving a paw in the air in a nondescript motion. If you looked really hard, squinted, and turned your head at a ninety degree angle, you could see the tiniest upward quirk of his mouth as Yoruichi gaped, eyebrows going skyward.

"Kisuke..." Yoruichi turned her head slowly, pinning the shopkeeper with irritated eyes. Said shopkeeper laughed sheepishly, inching away slightly.

"...Yes, Yoruichi-san?"

"Where the hell did you find this kid?"

"Oi, I'm not a damn kid!" Ichigo went ignored.

"It seems that our dear little neko is a street rat." Kisuke jeered, finding amusement in the way Ichigo's face scrunched up, looking vaguely angry, but it was hard to tell on a cat.

"That's about correct." The smiles faded. Ichigo turned to Yoruichi and Tessai this time, giving them his attention. "I was created in the Twelfth Division labs." You could probably cut the thick atmosphere with a spoon. No one interrupted. "Kurotsuchi was looking for ways to genetically alter living beings to create a new race of strong warriors. That's nothing new, but with this specific experiment, he broke the laws of Soul Society, mixing hollow and shinigami."

Nodding of heads.

"It was called 'Project: Unidentified' for a reason. Mostly because it's _such_ an unsuspecting title. Second, though, is because of the results. No one had any clue as to what would happen, thus 'Unidentified.'"

"So you were basically lab rats." Jinta's snarky remark made Ichigo visibly twitch. The neko turned a glare toward the redhead, snarling.

"If by lab rats you mean that we were experimented on and tortured every day, and that having your limbs cut off was a walk in the park, than ya. I was a fucking lab rat." The neko lowered his head, sitting quietly. The air was almost insufferable, because no one could say anything, and they had nothing to say.

"There started out with fifty of us, but the longer the experiments went on, most couldn't handle the strain. Last I knew there were eight of us left, but that was before we broke out..." Ichigo sighed, turning away and hopping off the table. He looked up at Kisuke for a long moment, shaking his head before he looked away again.

"And here I am." He said quietly, staring intently at his paw as he flexed his claws. "That was only three years ago. I bet he's still searching for us. I know it."

A flash of sadness crossed Ichigo's face, before his eyes became hard again and his face became a mask.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave now." He walked right out the door, Grimmjow slinking after and Shirosaki following, shooting one last glare at everyone at the table. And they were gone. There was a moment of silence, everyone a bit startled at the abrupt exit. Kisuke sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly, glancing up at Yoruichi, who gave him a dry look.

"Ya ya," She rolled her eyes, standing and making her way toward the kitchen. It was an interesting day, and there was sure to be more to that story, but when it came down to the facts, Ichigo seemed to just be a good guy in a bad situation. She relented. "Go after you little kitty friend. Just make sure he stays out of trouble."

Kisuke beamed, already on his way out the door.

He had a kitty to catch.

* * *

Well, say hello to Ichigo's past! (actually only part of it...) This chapter was mostly to get that out of the way, but it was fun writing it all the same. I would like to say that I'm sorry for the (extremely) late update. I didn't realize that so many people liked this story until I got messages from several people asking me to update! Exciting, I suppose. Anyway.

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	7. Chapter 6: Why Hello, Mr Strawberry

Strawberry Hybrids Are The Best Kinds Of Hybrids

Chapter 6: Why hello, Mr Strawberry

Disclaimer: *sigh* It's really depressing having to, yet again, state the simple fact that I do not own Bleach. Tch. I wish...

* * *

It was shocking, annoying, amazing, and downright Murphy's Law. It seemed that every time he tried to find this odd little orange kitten with a spitfire attitude, it ended up in the same circumstances. Coincidence? No, it was a bit too much for that. Every, _every_ time that he was able to catch the little orange blur, it was when said orange blur was being hunted down by some sort of a hollow.

Even now, Kisuke Urahara had to witness the odd event of a hollow, ironically in the form of a large dog, chasing after the poor little orange feline. He sweat dropped, sighing as he realized that Grimmjow and Shirosaki were not present, and therefore he would most likely have to dispatch the hollow himself. He really should just expect trouble to just follow Ichigo, by now though.

Kisuke shunpoed lazily in front of his newest annoyance, flinging a byakurai at the dog face mask. The attack bounced right off of the bone surface, and his eyes widened as he grabbed Ichigo and jumped out of the way of the advancing hollow.

He landed off to the side, looking at Ichigo just in time for a clawed paw to swipe him across the face.

"You idiot!" Ichigo shouted, gesturing toward the hollow. "Reiatsu won't work on that ugly bitch, I've already tried it!"

"I see that. I'll just have to get close enough to stab it without using reiatsu then." Kisuke set Ichigo down, and they both leaped at the hollow heading straight for them. Ichigo extracted his claws, ready to rip that hollow bastard a new asshole. When he got near the hollow, though, a sharp crackling sounded through the air as the air around the hollow buzzed with electricity, and Ichigo was thrown backward. He landed painfully, legs buckling as his fried muscles burned. He could even smell his fur smoking.

Kisuke's sword made contact, a shallow cut appearing in the hollow's armor before the electricity ran up the metal blade, giving him a nasty shock that left him gritting his teeth against the pain. _'Shit,'_ He thought, glancing at Ichigo, who was hissing at the opponent, but staying in place. _'This guy isn't going down without one of us getting seriously hurt.'_

A clawed hand came down on Ichigo before he could even finish his though, and the neko was sent flying into a light pole, the hollow laughing with glee all the while. He cried out, back arching at a painfully obtuse angle before he slumped to the ground.

Kisuke didn't even have to think, and the next thing he knew his zanpakuto was rammed straight through the hollow's head, and so much electricity was coursing through his system that black spots were already spotting his vision and his limbs were shaking, but he held strong.

The hollow continued to roar until it disappeared, and Kisuke could feel the aftershock of the electric attack pulsing through his body. His senses were slowing down, and his body was in a shock induced oblivion. As his eyes closed and he fell to the ground, the last thing that Kisuke knew was a pair of strong arms catching him before he hit the ground, and beautiful brown eyes gazing at him in worry.

Everything else was black.

* * *

His eyes opened slowly, a dull pounding in his skull as he stared up at the wooden ceiling. _'This is my room,'_ Kisuke thought groggily, looking around. Indeed, he was laying on his futon, covered in a blanket and in a new set of clothes. He sat up carefully, fully aware that going any faster would only cause a migraine, something that he did not need.

He rubbed his face tiredly before standing and walking to the door. It was time to face the music, or in this case, Yoruichi's angry ranting.

When he entered the living room, Yoruichi was slouching over the table in her human form, eating a giant bowl of ramen as Jinta and Ururu ate their own sushi bentos. They all looked up when Kisuke entered the room, faces brightening as he sat across from Yoruichi.

Tessai walked in, wearing a floral green apron, and set a simple bowl of miso soup in front of Kisuke. He was glad for it too, because his stomach probably couldn't take anything stronger.

"So you're finally awake." Yoruichi greeted, slurping a bite full of noodles before putting her chopsticks down. "You were out for an entire day. Your little kitty friend brought you back in sorry condition."

Kisuke sighed, taking a sip of his soup. The last thing he remembered was a pair of concerned brown eyes gazing into his own, but that was it. _'Was that Ichigo...?''_

With perfect timing, a young man, looking no older than fifteen, shuffled into the room, yawning tiredly. His shoulder length bright orange hair stuck up in every direction, falling in messy tresses and into hazy chocolate eyes. His face was youthful, if a little angry looking, with the fierce scowl and all, but beautiful all the same. He was only wearing a pair of black cotton pants, and Kisuke would have drooled over the tan flesh if it weren't for Yoruichi coughing rather pointedly, giving him a sly smirk. She had obviously noticed him shamelessly ogling the teen.

Kisuke looked down at his bowl, not looking but unable to not notice when the teen sat at the end of the table, the spot right next to him. A large plate of tuna rolls was placed in front of him, and he murmured a small 'thank you' before taking a large bite out of one.

Kisuke took a close look at him, noting the sharp fangs, and _holy shit-_How did he not notice the cat ears until now? A quick look revealed that the teen also had a long, slick tail, as bright and orange as his hair. _'This is...'_

"Ichigo...?" Kisuke said, his tone not quite disbelieving, but curious. The hybrid glanced at him, swallowing his mouthful before he smirked.

"Yo." He greeted, his voice just as smooth a beautiful as when he was a cat. "Glad to see you're not being lazy anymore. You slept like the dead after I dragged your ass back here."

Kisuke snorted, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Yes well, that was some thanks for the guy who went into a coma for you."

Ichigo's brows furrowed (even more) and he lowered his head, ears drooping. "Um, ya. Thank you. F-for saving me, I mean..."

It was amusing, the was that Ichigo seemed so flustered about thanking him. Cute, almost. The hybrid took another bite of his tuna roll, scowling at Jinta, who was snickering at him.

"You have cat ears! That's so _cute!_" He mocked, pointing at said furry ears that were now twitching in annoyance. Ichigo's eyes narrowed, a vein in his forehead popping as he smirked.

"Is that so?" He growled, leaning over and tugging Jinta's ears playfully, albeit a bit painfully. "Let's see if I can't make your ears cute too!"

And as Jinta's loud screams and threats, Ichigo's maniacal laughter, and Ururu's quiet giggles reverberated throughout the house, Kisuke knew that Ichigo would fit in just fine. Yoruichi did too, if her glances between Kisuke and Ichigo were anything to go by.

* * *

So I had fun with this chapter! People were wondering when a more humanoid Ichigo would come into the picture, so I thought, to hell with it! I might as well do it right now. And here it is folks, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	8. Chapter 7: Jealousy Clouds Sanity

Chapter 7: Jealousy Clouds Sanity

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, because if I did, there would be _so much yaoi..._

* * *

Lunch was finishing up, now that Ichigo and Jinta were over their little quarrel. Everyone was getting along nicely, save for the occasional crude bicker between Jinta and Ichigo, and sometimes Yoruichi popped in.

Kisuke, though, was a bit distracted. He would sneak glances at Ichigo when appropriate, taking in his youthful face, the way his eyes crinkled a bit when he smiled, or how his eyebrows would furrow a little more when he smirked. Sometimes, he would chuckle, the beautiful sound making Kisuke shiver.

The best, though, was when Ichigo wasn't paying attention. His eyes would become distant, and his brow would relax a little, giving him an almost peaceful expression. At that time, all of Ichigo's emotions could be seen through his eyes, and it was beautiful. It almost made the neko look normal, but then his eyes would harden again, and his emotions were bottled up once more, shutting everyone else out.

It made Kisuke's insides twit. That Ichigo felt he had to shut himself out from everyone, that he had to be someone else in order to protect himself. They didn't know anything about each other, but it was undeniable and irrevocable.

Ichigo had him absolutely smitten.

He was ensnared, completely head over heels for the teen. Was he in love? Kisuke didn't even know. He had never been in love, never shared a special connection with anyone. He couldn't say exactly what he was feeling, but it was powerful and beautiful, and he loved it.

How his insides warmed at the sight of Ichigo, and how much joy the boy's presence brought him. It was a wonderful feeling, but it almost made him sick how _fast _and _hard_ he had fallen. It terrified him, how this one boy sent his world tipping precariously on an edge with his mere presence.

But when lunch was over, that was when everything went to hell.

* * *

Ichigo sighed, patting his stomach contently. He yawned, ears folding back and pointed fangs standing out. It was the kind of yawn that brought tears, and everyone giggled a little when he rubbed his eye grumpily, making an adorable picture.

Kisuke was the first to notice when a large house cat walked through the door. He looked old for a cat, with dark brown fur, shaggy and long. His tail was long and puffy, swishing in a lazy fashion. Amber eyes locked with Kisuke's for a moment before they focused on Ichigo, a quiet meow coming from his mouth.

Ichigo's eyes widened, ears swiveling toward the low sound, tail bristling. His torso twisted at a painful looking angle as he stared at the cat with wide eyes. Then, something happened that Kisuke could just _not_ understand.

Ichigo smiled. He _smiled_ like he had never seen before, with so much genuine happiness that Kisuke couldn't help but be confused. Then Ichigo twisted onto all fours, transforming into a little orange neko and running for the new cat. He was so small compared to the other neko, like a child next to an adult. Ichigo rubbed his face under the brown cat's chin, _a sign of affection and happiness,_ and purred like his life depended on it.

"Hey now!" Yoruichi chided, eyes glinting mischievously. She glanced at Kisuke for a quick moment, and he seemed completely dumbfounded. _'Let the games begin!'_ "Get a room, we don't wanna see any of that!"

Ichigo glared her way, purring on hold as he growled instead. Zangetsu nipped at his ear, _something that looked like a love bite,_ and Ichigo mewed happily, eyes closing as his face resembled something of a smile, though he was a cat, and therefore it was rather hard to tell.

Kisuke's heart grew heavy as Ichigo walked out the door without a backward glance, so close to the other cat that there was no space between them. It was the single most horrible thing he had ever felt, like the sight of Ichigo being so intimate with someone else made his heart ache, and his chest feel heavy.

* * *

Kisuke had been too exhausted to do anything, what with being in a coma for the past 29 hours and being put through the worst emotional pain he had ever experienced, he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed when he went back to his room. No one disturbed him, and he was glad.

The whole time, he had been warring with himself. So what if Ichigo was with someone else? He had only mat the neko a scant few days ago, and it's not like they actually knew anything about each other. Ichigo could be with anyone that he wanted. Ya...

But that didn't mean that his heart agreed with his logical side. What was with his heart, anyway? Why feel so deeply for someone he didn't know, a complete stranger? What was the point of getting his hopes up, to be shot down? No, that wasn't himself, he was stronger than that. He was Urahara Kisuke, former Captain of the Twelfth Division, creator of the Hogyoku, and the best damn scientist Soul Society had ever seen. He didn't fall head over heels for some lowly teenager. He didn't let people penetrate his heart so easily, letting someone become important to him. Love was a weakness, something that he couldn't afford.

He didn't need Ichigo, and it was obvious that Ichigo didn't need him either. He already had _someone special_. Kisuke didn't need to cause himself heartache, and that's all Ichigo was, a pain in his side. An temporary annoyance, nothing more.

Or at least, that's what he told himself as he fell asleep.

* * *

_It was a beautiful day. He had decided that Jinta and Ururu had been working pretty hard lately, and deserved some time off. With some planning from Tessai, they were on their way to the fireworks festival, clad in traditional yakutas, with a large picnic basket._

_When they got there, Ururu, Tessai, and Jinta disappeared into the crowd. Kisuke and Yoruichi found a nice spot in the grass by the river to lay down the blanket. More people were coming, and by nightfall ever inch of the riverside was crowded with people awaiting the main attraction. _

"_Mister Kisuke!" Ururu shouted, and he could barely hear her over the roar of other people's conversation. He spotted the small girl, holding hands with Tessai and a reluctant Jinta, heading toward their spot. Ururu looked adorable in her pink yakuta, decorated with orange flowers and an orange obi. Jinta had a dark blue yakuta, small orange patterns sewed into the edges, while Tessai wore a gray one with red edges._

_Kisuke smiled, waving them over. He himself wore a dark green yakuta, and Yoruichi a purple one with a black obi. Her hair was down for once, falling loosely over her shoulders, and she was beautiful. _

_As everyone sat down, the first firework was shot into the sky, exploding with a burst of blue and a large boom. _

"_Kisuke..." _

_He could have sworn that he could head someone saying his name, as if being whispered into his ear. He turned around, and the crowd seemed to part. In the center, he zoomed in on a lone figure, with lovely brown eyes and orange hair that glowed in the light of the festival lanterns._

"_Ichigo." Kisuke whispered, and Ichigo smiled back at him, as if he could hear him over the booming of the fireworks. Ichigo was the only thing he could see, in all his beautiful glory, wearing a white yakuta. It was decorated with beautiful red flowers, and he wore a red sash that was tied off center, the ends falling all the way to his knees. It was almost like an exotic dress, and yet Ichigo looked no less perfect than before, even more so, if possible._

_That's when everything went wrong. The air itself seemed to stand still, as if time had stopped. The noise was gone, leaving everything eerily silent, and as he took a look at his surroundings, he noticed that something had changed. Where everything was a large array of colors before, now everyone was wearing orange. Every yakuta, orange. Every firework, frozen in the sky, orange. Every lantern and light, shining a dull orange. The night sky was a brilliant orange, the color of Ichigo's hair, and it looked as if it were a beautiful horizon._

_Then it happened._

_A hand appeared on Ichigo's hip, curling around his waist in a possessive manner. It belonged to a man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He had shaggy brown hair that fell in loose waves, right below his shoulders. He was sporting a long, ragged black cloak with tight sleeves and a large white collar. His hair and cloak seemed to be flowing in nonexistent wind, and amber eyes looked straight back at him from behind yellow tinted sunglasses. His face was unshaven, but somehow he gave off the feeling of cleanness. And power. Lots of power._

_The amber eyes turned mocking, and a malicious smile curled onto the man's lips. Kisuke's eyes narrowed, and he turned to Ichigo for an explanation, only for his eyes to go wide. Ichigo was giving him a similar look, brown orbs gazing at him mockingly. He smirked, turning to the older man and threading his long fingers through brown locks, bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss._

_Time stopped again, and all of the orange faded from the world. Everything turned to shades of gray; the sky, the clothes, the light, everything was in gray. The world was black and white and everything started up again. People walked from stand to stand, children running around, playing with each other. Most were watching the fireworks, but Kisuke wasn't. He couldn't, not when, right in front of his eyes, Ichigo was kissing another man. _

_When their lips separated, both stared mockingly at Kisuke, before laughing and turning away, the man's arm around Ichigo's shoulders, and Ichigo's around the man's waist. As they walked away from a heartbroken Urahara, Ichigo turned his head a little, giving him one last wink before turning away again. The man's cloak swallowed everything up, starting with himself and Ichigo, and everything was black._

* * *

Kisuke awoke with a gasp, shooting up in bed and grasping his chest, right over his aching heart. It was beating erratically, and he couldn't get it to slow no matter how many deep breaths he took. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and he realized that his entire body was damp with perspiration.

"It was just a dream." He whispered to himself, trembling. He didn't realize how upset he was until he faced it himself in his dreams. It was terrifying, and his heart ached with intense pain when he remembered Ichigo kissing someone else.

_'Just a nightmare...'_

* * *

Wow. I have to say, I really liked this chapter myself. I got the idea, and I was so excited that I decided to post a chapter early. I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter, because this one is, hands down, my favorite so far. That, and it's funny seeing Kisuke jealous. So cute!

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


	9. Chapter 9: All Wound Up

Chapter 8: All Wound Up

Disclaimer: Bleach. It ain't mine!

* * *

Ichigo was bored. After catching up with Zangetsu for a while, he had taken to wandering around the city. Karakura wasn't much, but there were some pretty interesting people to make up for that.

According to the newspaper stand, it had been over two weeks since he had last been in the world of the living, and he couldn't help but wonder how everyone was. Shiro, Grimmjow, those odd people from the shoten. Of course, Shirosaki and Grimmjow wouldn't be too worried, because they knew that Ichigo was in good hands with Zangetsu. Those weirdos from the shop, he could guess, had at least wondered about where he had run off to, considering that he _was_ mooching off of them for a while.

Maybe it was a bit inconsiderate to just disappear for over two weeks without so much as a goodbye or a note to the people who had cared for him, but the concept was so...foreign. He had been created and nurtured in a lab, he wasn't exactly used to people giving him a second thought. Shirosaki and Grimmjow were usually right over his shoulder, but they knew when he needed distance. Zangetsu didn't really need to be reassured, seeing as he had full access to Ichigo's head.

The people from the Shoten were a completely different story. That brat Jinta was a loud, obnoxious little fuck, but he (usually) meant well, though he would never admit it. Ururu was a sweet heart, and she would always sneak him treats and pamper him silly. Tessai was nice, if a little creepy at times, and he could cook one hell of a meal. Yoruichi was a flaming bitch with a great sense of humor, and she seemed to like turning into a cat so that she could talk dirty to him and no one would be the wiser. Oh, and he could eat like no fat ass ever could. Urahara was...

He was...

_Weird._

Honestly, Ichigo had no idea what to think of him. The idiotic blond was very nice (if his hospitality said anything anyway) and behind his stupid facade, he obviously was really very smart. It interested Ichigo, seeing the shopkeeper act like a happy-go-lucky retard, while he could see the knowing glint in slate gray eyes. It was almost amazing, like he could see the gears turning in the man's head. Seeing the smarter, more dangerous side of the former captain made Ichigo's blood boil with excitement, though he wouldn't deny that he liked the man's smile.

He would figure out the blond enigma someday, but for now, he really wanted to introduce the Shoten to Zangetsu. The old man had shown up at the damn shop a few weeks ago, and it was plain as day that his presence had upset the shop owner, though he had no idea why. Ichigo was going to ask if he was sick or something, because he had this blank look in his eyes and his face was kind of pale, but god, Ichigo was so relieved by Zangetsu's presence that he had forgotten that anyone else existed.

After all, Zangetsu had gone off to the realm of Zanpakuto and Ichigo obviously couldn't come with, so he he had been a bit antsy without his sword for a while. He trusted Shiro and Grimm to be able to take care of him in his weakened state, but he had gotten into a few misfortunes (like being attacked and almost killed and or eaten by multiple hollows). His mind was sated for now though, because he had been training with his Zanpakuto for the past two weeks, and knew that he had gotten stronger.

Zangetsu wouldn't tell him why he was away before the training, but he trusted his Zanpakuto enough to not dwell on it much. There were other things to keep his mind occupied, for example, the ditzy looking, auburn haired, over endowed girl walking down the street while singing ridiculous songs. Next to her was two girls, a red head with red framed glasses (she was eying the auburn haired girl rather lustfully) and a rather boyish girl with spiky black hair (she was scowling at the perverted redhead, who was now drooling with a dreamy look in her eyes).

It was an odd trio, and the moment the ditzy girl spotted the little orange kitten across the busy courtyard (they were in the town plaza, and there were lots of people shopping so they kept almost stepping on the kitty) she ran from her friends, picking up the kitten and swinging him around.

The circular motion made Ichigo feel sick, and the sound of the girl's happy laughter and cooing made him think that she was deliberately trying to weaken him so that she could kidnap him.

He was only half right.

"-e is so cute! Just look at him Tatsuki!"

"Jeez Orihime." The tomboy, Tatsuki, put a hand on the the girl's shoulder, silently telling her to stop squeezing the poor creature to death (if only she knew...). "Look at it, it's about to pass out!" She shouted, snatching the orange creature into her own hands and scowling at Orihime as she laughed nervously.

"Sorry Tatsuki, I guess I got a little carried away!" She looked around, not seeing her Chizuru anywhere. She could have sworn that her friend was just there... "Ano, Tatsuki? Where is Chizuru?"

"What I was _trying_ to say was that she met up with Michiru and Ryo. They left while you were trying to suffocate this poor cat." Tatsuki gave Orihime a dry look, gesturing to the orange kitten, who was staring right back at her. Her eyes narrowed, clearly seeing that this was not a normal cat. There was something in its amber eyes that was so comprehending and human that she couldn't _not_ be suspicious. She had no idea, though, what the hell could be so special about the little runt of a cat (besides its outrageously colored fur).

Great. Now she was loony!

"Oh, I'm sorry kitty-chan!" Orihime wailed, eyes watery as she held the neko before her face, begging for forgiveness. Ichigo inwardly sighed, wondering why the hell he always managed to meet new whack-jobs. It must have been his nonexistent luck or something, because this was one _weird_ human.

But for now, it seemed as if he needed to play the role of a kitten, as degrading as it was. He meowed quietly, licking the tip of the girl's nose to show his acceptance. In the back of his mind, he noted how her flesh was rather sweet, but not more so than her scent. The other girl, Tatsuki, her scent was much more masculine and strong.

Orihime giggled, holding her hands out pleadingly to Tatsuki, who sighed, rolling her eyes before handing the kitten to her best friend. Orihime smiled, cradling the kitty like a baby and petting soft orange fur. The kitten purred, tail flicking lazily.

"Well," Tatsuki drawled, smirking as gray and brown eyes looked to her. "It's a boy."

Orihime just laughed, squealing "He's so cute!" while the kitty looked away, hissing under his breath about perverted humans.

"So what are you gonna do with him?" Tatsuki asked, eyes narrowing at the kitten, whose eyes narrowed right back at her.

"I wanna keep him! We'll have so much fun together Tatsuki! I can make him a sweater, and we can have tea parties, and he'll grow up to be a big strong cat that saves the world from an evil tiger-monkey bent on stealing all of the strawberries on the planet so he can get revenge on the giant pig m-"

At this point in time, people were giving Orihime weird looks as she talked _on and on and on_ about who knows what. Tatsuki sighed, knowing that when Orihime got like this, she just ranted to her hearts content. A glance at the orange kitten showed that he too was rather exasperated, if not a bit annoyed. After a few minutes, Tatsuki had enough.

"Orihime!"

"-Huh?"

"Why don't you take the cat, and we can see if he has an owner." She suggested, succeeding at getting Orihime's attention. The busty girl blinked, before laughing sheepishly, glancing down at Ichigo. He was trying to push his face away from her over sized bust so that he could _breathe_.

"You're right, I guess he might already have an owner..." Her smile came back full force. "But that doesn't mean that we can't have fun until then! Let's go, neko-chan!"

Tatsuki just smiled, running after Orihime, who was already skipping down the street.

Ichigo sighed, slumping into Orihime's warm arms. His current situation was rather annoying, but what better way was there to fend off boredom than to meet odd humans? He would visit the Shoten some other time...

* * *

**Four days later...**

"Oooh!" Orihime drooled a little, staring at the delicious cake. Today, Tatsuki was going to sleep over, so she baked a cake for dessert. It was a strawberry cake, to be precise, topped with whipped cream, and fresh strawberries scattered over the entire thing. Next to her, the orange kitten sat, staring wide-eyed at the yummy looking treat.

Two days ago, Orihime had gotten a little collar for the kitten. It was black leather, with a black bell. She had also bought a little charm that attached next to the bell in the shape of a strawberry. She never saw the kitten's eye twitching when she had first put it on him.

And so Ichigo sat, in his cute strawberry collar, staring at the delicious strawberry cake. This girl must think herself to be _so_ funny. Oh, the irony.

Later that day, when Tatsuki and Orihime were sitting on the couch, watching a movie and eating a slice of cake, Ichigo took the liberty to leap onto the table and eat the rest of the dessert, and then he moved onto the bowl of fresh strawberries on the counter. He was so caught up in the heavenly flavor that he didn't notice the two girls entering the kitchen until Orihime screamed, "Oh no! My strawberries!"

He promptly choked on the berry, trying to hack it back up. Tatsuki picked the feline up, patting his back until the berry dislodged from his throat, hitting her _right in the cheek_. Her eye started to twitch, a vein popping in her forehead, and she could swear that the damn cat was smirking at her. Orihime just laughed.

"Ichigo-chan! It's the perfect name, Tatsuki!" She giggled. Ichigo just groaned, slumping in defeat. Only this weird girl would be able to create a new name for him that just _happened_ to be his actual name.

Tatsuki snickered. "What clued you in, Orihime? The collar, appetite, or gay hair color?"

Ichigo growled, so called 'gay fur' bristling. _'Oh no she didn't!' _This girl was _so_ asking to get her ass handed to her! Hissing, Ichigo swiped his claws at Tatsuki's arm (he had enough decency to not hit a girl in the face).

"Why you-!" Tatsuki yelled, chasing the neko around the house. She mistook his laughing for terrified meowing, which was only half of the case.

* * *

Outside, gold and blue eyes watched in amusement. Shirosaki turned around, walking on the air and away from the apartment. He glanced at the panther, snickering. "So, how long do ya think it'll be till he runs into that shop dude?"

Grimmjow purred curiously, laughing. "Naw, it's more like, how long will it be until that crazy fucker finally gives in and goes looking for dear Ichigo? That, my fellow bastard, is the question."

Shirosaki laughed. "I couldn't o' said it any better, pussy cat."

* * *

I finished finals today, YAY! No more school for me, thank god. Sorry for not updating, but I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything with fanfiction until I was completely done with school for the year. Thank god, now I have an entire summer to be lazy and write because I'll probably have nothing better to do!

Thanks for reading, beloveds!

Ai,

Bloody Sorrow


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